CITY OF WEST PALM BEACH HOSTS FREE EVENTS EVERY SATURDAY FOR TEENS 12 TO 18

Teens Unite! Features Pro-Social Activities that Bring Together Youth from Different Communities

On Saturday, June 16th, the City of West Palm Beach launched Teens Unite! – a free series of events for youths ages 12 to 18. This program was created in collaboration with several youth development programs and community centers in the north end of the city, such as Gaines Park Community Center, Coleman Park Community Center, Youth Empowerment Center, Police Athletic League, Salvation Army Northwest Community Center, and Boys & Girls Club. Teens Unite! will take place every Saturday from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. through the summer months.

"Teens Unite! is an opportunity for our teens to gather in a safe space on Saturday nights,” said Kevin Jones, City of West Palm Beach Coordinator of Community Initiatives in the office of Mayor Jeri Muoio. “What I enjoy about this program is that it brings youths together from different communities that have historically experienced conflict."

Teens Unite! falls under the umbrella of the Mayor’s Village Initiative, an initiative created by Mayor Jeri Muoio that focuses on creating opportunities and reducing violence among African American boys and young men in the City. This year, the Mayor’s Village Initiative has partnered with CitiesUnited (citiesunited.org) to expand their vision and develop a plan of action for African American boys and young men in the Historic Northwest, Coleman Park, and Pleasant City communities.

“The Mayor’s Village Initiative intends to change the life outcomes for young men of color by creating more opportunities in the areas of education and job training, among others,” expressed West Palm Beach Mayor Jeri Muoio. “Providing programs that foster a healthy and safe environment for our youth is vital to bringing the community together and seeing the positive changes we want for our city. We look forward to our youth participating in this event series.”

For more information about Teens Unite!, please contact Kevin Jones at (561) 822-1413 or kljones@wpb.org. To learn more about the Mayor’s Village Initiative, please visit: www.wpb.org.

Mayor Announces Special 4th on Flagler 30th Anniversary Celebration

At the Clematis Street dock on Tuesday, Mayor Muoio gave the media and public a sneak peek at the 4th on Flagler 30th Anniversary Celebration. At the press conference, 30 City of West Palm Beach officials and community leaders motored in on 30 personal watercrafts on the Intracoastal Waterway. Chris Anyzeski, a professional personal watercraft freestyle athlete, conducted a JetRide practice run for his big performance at the 4th on Flagler, where he will attempt to flip his personal watercraft 30 times in honor of the special anniversary.

In a second hearing, the City Commission approved Ordinance No. 4780-18, allowing medical marijuana dispensaries to locate within the City of West Palm Beach. This ordinance comes after the passage of Amendment 2 on November 8th, 2016, which expanded the availability of medical marijuana to qualifying patients battling conditions such as cancer, AIDS, Crohn’s Disease, and Parkinson’s Disease, to name a few. Following Amendment 2, the Florida Legislature passed Senate Bill, 8A, which gives Florida municipalities two options regarding the regulation of medical marijuana dispensaries within their borders. Florida municipalities can either ban medical marijuana dispensaries outright or to allow them and regulate them no differently than a pharmacy with the exception of a mandatory 500 foot separation distance from public or private elementary, middle, or secondary schools. Medical marijuana dispensaries are allowed to sell only derivatives of cannabis such as oils, extract, and sprays, as smoking of medical marijuana remains illegal under State law.

On first reading, the City Commission approved ordinances regarding the proposed Okeechobee Business District (OBD) to establishacore office district in downtown West Palm Beach. The OBD is expected to encourage the creation of more Class-A office space and endorses a series of transportation demand management strategies designed to reduce future traffic projected on the Okeechobee Boulevard corridor. The new business district would include all properties located between Lake Avenue, Okeechobee Boulevard, Rosemary Avenue, and Flagler Drive. The plan would expand open public space in the area and protect the waterfront by restricting the construction of any structure within 400 feet from the sea wall cap. The comprehensive plan change must be reviewed by the State Department of Economic Opportunity. A second reading of the ordinances is tentatively scheduled for around mid-August.

The City Commission approved Resolution No. 139-18, authorizing the submittal of several grant applications, totaling $1.5 million, for funding of The Currie Project. The resolution approves the intent to apply for the grant. The project is pending award of the submitted grants. The project utilizes temporary public artworks as a catalyst to address the City's priority of putting people first. The City's cultural partner, the Norton Museum of Art, will play a vital role in bringing a multitude of educational components, public programming including youth outreach, and curatorial initiatives to the project. Temporary public installations will be created in partnership with residents and in response to the public spaces in Currie Park. If grants are awarded, this project will allow for the activation of the under-utilized civic space of Currie Park, the on-site Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, and the surrounding waterway.

The City Commission approved Resolution No. 171-18(F), allowing for the appropriation of $35,000 to hire a consultant for, and to engage in, the Vision Zero Implementation Plan. Under the Vision Zero program, the City of West Palm Beach will create an action plan to reduce preventable traffic fatalities and injuries. As a Vision Zero city, the City of West Palm Beach will have the opportunity to work on the State level with the Department of Transportation to promote a culture of safety; to build safer streets; and to develop safer ways in which people and goods can move throughout the City. This initiative was a recommendation contained in the City’s Downtown Mobility Plan, which

***You can view the most recent City Commission meeting in its entirety courtesy of WPB-TV, the City's official 24-7 television station!!! Click on the image below to play the video!***

VIDEO: City Commission Meeting (June 18, 2018)

WPBPD Receives Special Reaccreditation

Last week, the West Palm Beach Police Department (WPBPD) received their reaccreditation from the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation. All aspects of WPBPD policies and procedures, management, operations and support services complied with 260 standards critical to life, health, and safety!

City of West Palm Beach Participates in

World’s Largest Swimming Lesson

On Thursday, June 21st, 2018, tens of thousands of children and adults at aquatic facilities around the world united for the ninth consecutive year to send the message that swimming lessons save lives, and West Palm Beach participated in this global event! The World’s Largest Swimming Lesson (WLSL) took place over the course of 24 hours at an estimated 600 locations in more than 20 countries with the goal of generating 1 billion media impressions to raise awareness of drowning prevention. The City of West Palm Beach Warren Hawkins Aquatic Center, located at 1501 N. Australian Avenue, served as an official host location, and residents of all ages were able to participate.

Tragically, in the U.S., drowning remains the leading cause of unintended, injury related deaths for children ages 1-4 and the second leading cause of accidental death for children under 14. Research shows that participation in formal swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning by 88% among children ages 1-4. Yet, many children do not receive formal swimming or water safety training.

Since the inception of WLSL, more than 235,000 children and adults have participated to raise awareness about the vital importance of learning to swim. The 2017 WLSL event included 41,068 participants from 26 countries.

Residents who are interested in participating in WLSL may learn more by visiting http://www.wlsl.org.

Georgia Ave. (June): Partial closures between Dobbins St. and Nottingham Blvd. for storm water improvements. One lane northbound is open to traffic. Southbound traffic is detoured to Nottingham Blvd., Lake Ave. or Bradley St.

Briggs and Dobbins Streets (June): Closed to local traffic between Garden Ave. and Georgia Ave. for storm water improvements. Eastbound traffic on Briggs St. may turn right only at Georgia Ave. On-street parking is prohibited in the work zone.

EVENT CLOSURES:

Clematis by Night (June 28, 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.): Clematis St. at Centennial Square between Narcissus Ave. and Flagler Dr. is closed on Thursday, June 28 between 6:00-9:00 PM. Narcissus Ave. between Clematis St. and Banyan Ave. will be closed to motorists and cyclists.

FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (FDOT) CLOSURES IN WPB:

Southern Blvd / FPL Permit Work (Mon. through Fri., through June 29, 9:00 p.m.-3:30 a.m.): The eastbound right-turn lane on Southern Blvd. between Washington Rd. and Flagler Dr. as FPL performs utility work in the area.

PALM BEACH COUNTY CLOSURES IN WPB:

Roebuck Rd. (periodic closures): from Jog Rd. to Haverhill Rd. for surface road construction. There will be alternating traffic with flaggers controlling traffic.

Roebuck Rd. (periodic westbound daytime lane closures): FPL pole installation on Roebuck Rd. 950 feet east of Easley Dr. to Haverhill Rd. Flaggers will be controlling alternating traffic. Westbound traffic will be shifted into one of the eastbound left turn lanes at the intersection of Haverhill Rd.

Please be advised that there might be increased frequency of train horns along the Florida East Coast (FEC)-Brightline railway between 15th Street and Forest Hill Boulevard, even though a railway quiet zone remains established in our city. FEC has indicated that, as a result of their maintenance of tracks and switches, train engineers may blow their horn if workers are near the tracks. This construction may last for up to 90 days. As the City does not have oversight over the railway, the schedule for construction and maintenance activities along this corridor is controlled exclusively by the railroad. For more information, please contact the Florida East Coast Railway at 1-904-538-6100 or contact@fecrwy.com.

The City of West Palm Beach will host a series of Community Budget Workshops to discuss the Fiscal Year 2019 budget. Members of the public are invited to attend and to participate as decisions are made about funding for City projects and programs.

The first public hearing to adopt the tentative budget and millage rate is scheduled for September 13, 2018. The final public hearing to adopt the final budget and millage rate is scheduled for September 27, 2018. FY 2019 Budget will go into effect October 1, 2018.

The Mayor's Neighborhood Meetings, facilitated by the City in the Flagler Gallery at City Hall, are an important way for neighborhoods to learn updates specific to their community, to strengthen ties between neighborhoods and the City and for the public to communicate ideas that can help shape City policy. Representatives from City departments are present at the meetings to answer questions previously submitted by neighborhood association presidents for discussion as agenda items. Please note the updated schedule of Mayor’s Neighborhood Meetings for the remainder of 2018:

Western Neighborhoods Meetings: All meetings start at 4:30PM in the Flagler Gallery

8/08/18

10/3/18

South End Neighborhoods Meetings: All meetings start at 5:30PM in the Flagler Gallery

9/26/18

11/28/18

North End Neighborhoods Meetings: All meetings start at 5:30PM in the Flagler Gallery

7/18/18

8/15/18

9/19/18

10/17/18

11/14/18

This schedule is tentative and subject to change.

To receive email updates about the 2018 Neighborhood Meetings or to receive notices of Neighborhood Meetings schedule changes, please email Jose Tagle, City of West Palm Beach Neighborhood Services Coordinator in the Office of Mayor Jeri Muoio, at jtagle@wpb.org. For additional information, call (561) 822-1412.

Do you have a unique skill or talent to offer?

Please take a moment to share your talents, interests, hobbies, training, and experiences with us. Volunteers of all ages, experiences and locations in the community are needed. Are you ready to make a difference? To learn more about becoming a City of West Palm Beach volunteer, please visit: http://wpb.org/volunteer.

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2018 Holiday Sanitation Schedule

There will be regular service on the following holidays:

Independence Day - July 4, 2018

Labor Day - September 3, 2018

Columbus Day - October 8, 2018

Veterans Day - November 12, 2018

There will be NO service on the following holidays:

Thanksgiving Day, November 22, 2018; Residential garbage will resume on your next scheduled service day beginning 11/26/18. Recycling will resume on 11/29/18. Bulk/Yard and Commercial Divisions are one day behind regular schedule.

Christmas Day, December 25, 2018: Residential garbage will resume your next scheduled service day beginning 12/28/18. Recycling will resume on 1/1/19. Bulk/Yard and Commercial Divisions are one day behind regular schedule.

New Year's Day, January 1, 2019: Residential garbage will resume on your next scheduled service day beginning 1/4/19. Recycling will operate on normal schedule. Bulk/Yard and Commercial Divisions are one day behind regular schedule.

The sanitation schedule is produced by the City of West Palm Beach Department of Public Works. For more information, please call (561) 822-2075.

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